Best Travel Affiliate Programs to Earn Big Money

As a travel enthusiast, you may get your groove from all the sights and sounds of the numerous cities you have visited. What is more fulfilling than seeing all the places you have read about in books or seen in movies? 

You may even have a blog to chronicle all your journeys and travels, painting a vivid picture for your readers to enjoy the places with you. Or you have a travel website that caters to the needs of travelers, telling them about the best places and rates on the market.

However, your travels may be bleeding you financially dry, especially if you are doing it out of pocket. Even as a blogger, your earnings may not suffice to cover the cost of traveling. If you fall into this category and are looking for travel affiliate programs, we have compiled a list of the best affiliate programs to earn big money.

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Affiliate Program: What It Is!

An affiliate program is one where you select a product or service that is not yours and promote it. You earn a commission if you make sales through your referral or affiliate link. The commission you earn usually depends on the service or product of choice, but this program cuts across every sector and industry.

Breaking into the market can be difficult. You have to have an online presence to draw the audience you need to make huge sales. However, if you already have a successful travel blog or website, you can convert it into an earning opportunity. In other words, the primary concern will be to build an excellent website, get an online presence, and set up an affiliate program.

Top Travel Affiliate Programs to Join as a Travel Blogger

1. TripAdvisor – Ideal for Earning High Commissions
2. Discovercars.com – Best for Car Rental Affiliate Programs
3. Expedia – Top-rated for Vast Affiliate Inventory
4. Travelpayouts – Best for Customized Hotel and Flight Searches
5. Plum Guide – Ideal for Holiday Homes Affiliate Programs
6. Booking.com – Rated for Easy Affiliate Booking

The following is a review of the best travel affiliate programs to earn you big money as a travel blogger. Let’s dive in. 

1. TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor has been in the travel industry for quite a while. It is one of the oldest websites that cater to the needs of travelers looking for the best deals on restaurants, flights, and accommodations. Millions of users from across the world use this website for their travel needs.

The site’s affiliate program is one of the best, and many travel bloggers and website owners belong to the program. Another reason it is popular among bloggers, apart from its experience, is the commission you can earn. TripAdvisor offers up to 50% commission on every sale you make, and this percentage is the standard with the program. Also, you can earn as much as 80%, but it depends on the type of product you sell and the volume of the transaction.

Another perk is that TripAdvisor does not waste time paying out your earned commission. It sends it every month when you make a sale. You must have a PayPal account to make easier transactions with the company.

Possible Benefits

Using the affiliate program from TripAdvisor has unique benefits. One of them is what we call a deep-link text generator. The platform uses possibly the vastest deep linking system across the board. 

This system allows you to access some affiliate products relevant to your niche. These products allow you to earn more as you market other services. Furthermore, you find helpful banners that display your website’s travel-related services.

Another benefit is getting international affiliates. Since it has a worldwide reach, you can use the affiliate program wherever you are. In other words, you do not have to be a resident of the United States to become a part of the program. It is easy to join and start earning commissions on your sales. Moreover, there is a dedicated team to provide support for the affiliate program if you need help along the way.

2. Discovercars.com

Car rental is a crucial part of traveling and having an excellent experience. So, here is Discovercars.com, a website that presents different car rental services and runs comparisons between them to help you find the best deals. If your travel blog or website offers car rentals to travelers, you can earn huge commissions from this affiliate program.

Discovercars.com offers up to 70% of profits from car rentals. It offers as much as 30% for full-coverage revenues, and it is for every car rental. However, if a potential customer cancels a booking, the platform does not offer any commission on that booking. Lastly, you get paid all your commissions every month through wire transfers or PayPal.

Possible Benefits

Once you become a part of the Discovercars.com affiliate program, the platform provides you with an account manager. This manager does not cater to everybody in the program or even a group of people. Instead, they become your dedicated manager to help you every step of the way and answer all your questions at any point.

Discovercars.com can be one of the highest-earning travel affiliate programs for you. Only a handful offer as much as 30% on full-coverage revenues and 70% on car rental bookings. You can earn thousands of dollars every month by booking car rentals with this program.

The platform offers a cookie period that lasts for one calendar year. Cookie periods allow you to earn commission from car bookings made within a year of visiting your website. You do not lose out on the sale and have no commission. It is a long enough period to claim your commission for all car rentals.

It is best to read the terms and conditions of the affiliate program before joining it. If you are unsure of any part of the terms or policies, contact Discovercars.com and make appropriate inquiries.

3. Expedia

If you are a dedicated traveler or travel blogger, you must know Expedia. In fact, you may have used its services in the past. The reason lies in the fact that it is probably one of the biggest platforms for travel bookings. It also runs one of the most extensive affiliate programs in the industry. That is why it may be one of the best travel affiliate programs for nomads and travel bloggers.

With access to more than 500,000 hotels all over the world, Expedia offers access to travel packages for all income levels. As a travel blogger who is part of the Expedia affiliate program, it opens you up to a world of opportunities due to its massive network. You can earn between 3% and 11% as commission for every transaction. The percentage depends on the transaction type and its volume.

Commission Rates

The following are the commission rates accruing to different travel packages on Expedia.

• Vacation packages that include flight, hotel, and car rentals with three or more hotel nights get a commission of 5% for every sale. The packages with less than three hotel nights get a commission of 3% for every sale.
• Hotel transactions on the Expedia Premium Plus package get a commission of 11% for every transaction. However, the commission is based on the monthly merchant hotel sales.
• Making a hotel booking transaction on the Premium package earns you a 9% commission.
• Car rental transactions earn you as much as 6% for every transaction.
• Transactions for activities attract up to 10% for every transaction. You can look the site up for the various activities on offer.
• If your transaction is a basic hotel booking, the commission is usually 3% for every transaction.

Joining the affiliate program does not automatically qualify you to start earning commissions. After submitting your application to join the program, you wait for the brand’s support team to review it and determine whether or not you qualify. Then, you can start earning if you get approved. Your payouts come when you earn up to $50, and the payout happens once a month, on the 15th.

Possible Benefits

Expedia has one of the most reliable travel affiliate programs and offers credible transactions. You never have to worry about getting paid; the platform will never withhold your money as long you perform legitimate transactions and earn up to $50.

The commissions are reasonable for the industry. If you make multiple sales, you get a commission for each one. You can track your sales and table your earnings to ensure they are correct. Regardless, Expedia always delivers on time.

One of the foremost benefits is the extensive network you are exposed to when you join the affiliate program. Expedia has the vastest travel inventory with more than 400 airlines and 500,000 hotels worldwide, from which you can offer people different deals and packages. Every traveler must find a fair deal, no matter the budget constraint.

The platform has a call center responsible for assisting affiliate marketers. If you need any information about discounts or deals on the platform, you can reach the center with your questions.

4. Travelpayouts

Travelpayouts is a big name in the travel affiliate niche. It offers a wide range of services, but it also offers one of the highest commission rates in the industry. The primary services include flight and hotel bookings and car rentals. Also, you can get insurance services and tour packages, among other services.

The brand offers a 70% commission for every booking or reservation. However, how much you earn depends on the offer. For example, if a potential traveler wants a hotel booking and goes through your affiliate link to Travelpayouts, what you make will depend on how much the traveler pays. 

If the hotel room costs $300, the platform takes its profit, averaging $30. Then, it pays you between 60% and 70% in commission. You may earn between 1.2% and 1.4% in commissions for flight bookings. Visit the site to learn more about the affiliate program.

There is a minimum amount to earn before you qualify for a payout. Travelpayouts disburses earned commission between the 11th and 20th of the following month for the previous month. If you exceed the minimum amount of revenue for August, for example, you get paid between the 11th and 20th of September.

Possible Benefits

There are several benefits to being a part of the Travelpayouts affiliate program. One of them is the WordPress plugin; you can use it to upload widgets to your websites. The widgets may include maps for flights, hotels, and routes to take when in a foreign land for easy access.

Another benefit is the white label. The white label is a means to create a flight and hotel search portal specifically for your travel website. In other words, your audience can search for flight and hotel deals straight from your website, under your personal brand. It is one way to gain online traction and make a name for yourself.

In addition, Travelpayouts has one of the biggest and widest affiliate networks. With more than sixty affiliate programs and 240,000 affiliates worldwide, you will find niches and offers to monetize and earn.

Travelpayouts has an email address and a Facebook page for affiliate support. If you are in the program and need help or assistance concerning bookings, discounts, and deals, use any of the channels to reach the platform.

5. Plum Guide

Some travelers prefer to stay in homes they can rent for a short period instead of staying in hotels or motels. This is where Plum Guide comes into play. The platform excels at finding some of the finest holiday homes for its customers. It is building a reliable yet exquisite collection of such houses within the top three percent of available ones worldwide. It takes time to check and approve homes before committing.

Plum Guide offers the standard commission rate of 50%, which comes to 7% of the booking value. If you are a VIP member of the affiliate program, you can earn as much as 80%, which is 10% of the booking value. The platform offers fair rates, and considering that you can make multiple bookings within one month, the commission rate is juicy.

However, the payment method may be a little inconvenient. Plum Guide pays earned commissions a month after the guest completes their stay in the holiday home. So, suppose you make a booking in August, and the guest comes at the beginning of September. If they leave the house in the middle of September, Plum Guide pays you in October, one month after that. Nevertheless, there is no minimum amount to earn before getting paid.

Possible Benefits

As mentioned before, some people prefer homes to hotels and motels when traveling. The current trend is that people who work while traveling prefer holiday homes because they tend to stay longer and need more amenities that hotels cannot offer. So, since these homes are becoming increasingly popular, you will likely make more sales. Besides, they attract more in costs than the average hotel.

Rest assured you are not working with a half-baked platform. Plum Guide provides comfortable homes and makes access easy for travelers who have difficulty finding the right spot. The platform has cut the search period for such travelers by finding suitable holiday homes.

There is also the cookie period. Plum Guide offers a 90-day cookie period, which is more generous than industry standards. You get a cookie period allocation once a potential customer uses your affiliate link to make a booking.

6. Booking.com

The platform is excellent at finding the best accommodation for travelers and vacationers. It is a well-known and reputable site that millions use to find accommodations. Its popularity means you are in the place to earn big money through commissions if you join the affiliate program.

Each completed transaction earns you a 25% commission. So, you get 25% of the commission Booking.com earns from each transaction if a guest makes a booking using your link. On top of that, you earn more if a guest stays a long time; the longer they stay, the higher your commission goes. 

You must have a PayPal account if Booking.com is to pay your commission. The payment usually comes a month after the guest who made the booking through your affiliate link completes their stay.

Possible Benefits

The more you promote Booking.com, the more likely you are to complete a transaction and earn a commission. The platform provides various tools to help its affiliates run promotions and earn. There are WordPress plugins, banner ads, and a deals finder for those looking for the most suitable deals on your website.

The vast number of regular Booking.com users means you also have a large audience. More than one million rooms get booked through the platform every day. You will make massive sales and big money daily if you can get a percentage of that number to go through your referral link.

Booking.com has a support team for its affiliate program to help answer questions. You can find help on the official website.

How to Use Travel Affiliate Programs to Make Money – A Guide

If you are keen on making money from your travel website, joining a travel affiliate program is your best bet. Affiliate programs are a mutual-earning method where you and the owner of the product or service that you promote can make money. People with significant online followership convert their online presence to cash in the bank through different affiliate programs.

Travel affiliate programs are the best way to make money as a travel blogger unless you own a business in that niche. Even then, you may still need ways to showcase your services. Hence, an affiliate program is ideal for all categories of travel enthusiasts.

Therefore, think about converting your blogs, website, and social media accounts into means of earning. However, if you are already on that part and are looking for the best way to use the travel affiliate programs to make quick money, there are several things to do.

• Generate Relevant Content

If a reputable and wide-reaching travel affiliate program accepts you, you have hit the jackpot. The field is open before you to draw as many readers to use the referral links as possible. An advantage you may have is a large readership or followership. You may want to generate relevant content to fit the new program if you do.

For example, an affiliate program with a brand that offers flight and accommodation packages is a great content idea. Write one or two new posts that fit places where this program covers and you have visited so that you can passionately talk about them. Talk about how visitors to these cities can find the best accommodations without breaking the bank. You can easily fix your referral link within the post, as long as it fits the occasion.

• Rework Old Content

Another way to monetize travel affiliate programs is to look for old content and rework it. Look for articles on your site that fit the services of the affiliate program and update them to include your referral link. Make the articles sound interesting and exciting enough to draw the reader to commit.

One thing it does for you is to improve your blog’s or website’s relevance. You are not only providing relevant content to make money, but you are also updating your site. Search engines favor websites that stay up to date, so you may begin ranking in your niche.

• Choose Established Affiliate Programs

There are numerous travel affiliate programs available, and you are only just a click away from one. However, finding the right program can be tedious, especially if you are just starting. You want to start earning immediately, but it may be challenging to find the right program.

You must take your time to select a travel affiliate program. Make a list of choices based on the services and your area of focus. Next, reach out to them with a request to join their affiliate programs; throw your net wide. It would be best if you didn’t settle for one to improve your approval chances.

Most affiliate programs with juicy commission rates have an approval process. They may have a team that checks and vets all applications into the program before deciding who to select. These programs may not necessarily have a requirement list, but they check your site to determine whether or not you fit their criteria. In other words, travel affiliate programs may not immediately accept you just because you applied.

The Best Travel Affiliate Programs for Bloggers – How to Choose

What works for others in the travel industry may not be a universal code for everyone. As a blogger, you may want to look for specific areas that make a difference for writers. You want to ensure that most clicks on your affiliate links convert to sales.

Therefore, choose a niche and focus on it. Trying to cover every aspect of the field is almost impossible and may cause you to lose customers instead of gaining them. The travel niche is vast, and since you have been blogging about your travels, it is time to sit and consider which area appeals the most to your audience. That may be your money maker.

When you settle that aspect, the next step is to find travel affiliate programs that offer reasonable commissions in that area. Your target audience would also influence the decision of an affiliate program. For example, if you write for the rich, you may want to avoid budget brands. Instead, the affiliate program of your choice must match what your readers need: high-end packages and tours.

Focusing on one niche may be the best way to convert your blog into big money. You will quickly build a name and client base because people looking for your specific services will visit your blog. Hopefully, they will also be quick in referring it to others with the same needs.

Factors to Consider

However, you may want to diversify a little and reach more than one niche. While it may take a lot to focus on multiple niches, it may not be a terrible way to make money from travel blogging. For one, you can apply to several affiliate programs with services that match your niches of interest. Multiple-niche programs may convert more quickly than other types.

If you want to focus on more than one niche, it helps to choose those always in demand. Some niches have a constant supply of clients, so getting clicks on your referral links may not be difficult. For example, if you choose a niche like travel documents or flight booking, you are sure to earn big. The same applies to travel insurance.

Other Considerations

There are a few factors to consider when choosing the best travel affiliate programs. 

• The Usefulness of the Service to Your Target Audience

It goes beyond just choosing affiliate programs with the highest commission rates. The services must meet needs; otherwise, you quickly lose relevance.

• Terms and Policies of the Affiliate Program 

Knowing the terms and policies guiding the program is crucial. They are what may make or mar your experience with the program and how it affects your clients.

• Previous Experiences With the Service 

It helps if you can prove to have used the brand’s services offering the affiliate program. Readers are more inclined to trust your words if they know you can vouch for the service. It is one thing to promote a service you have never used and another to promote it with proof of usage.

• Some Commissions Are Restricted by Location 

While choosing an affiliate program with a worldwide reach is an excellent idea, it may help to know whether all your referrals earn you a commission or not. Several programs may restrict you from earning outside your country of residence.

• Payment Time and Method 

Every program has a specific time and method of payment. It is crucial to know how you will be paid. If it is not through a method you know or have, you can set up an account. Also, you must acquaint yourself with the time you will receive the money. Some pay every month, while others pay according to how the guests use their services.

• Affiliate Cookie Duration 

An affiliate cookie is a window within which the clicks on your referral links must convert to actual transactions, or you lose the accruing commission. Some programs offer as much as 365 days, while others may offer only 90 days.

• Discounts and Offers to Entice Customers

Many affiliate programs provide their affiliates assets for campaigns and promotions. These assets may come as widgets and banners that you can put on your website to draw clients. It is best to choose one with this offer.

Our Related Services

• Our Keyword Research, Content Writing & Posting Service
• Our Done-For-You Niche Website Service
• Our On Demand Niche Website Service

Conclusion

If you are looking for the best travel affiliate programs to earn big money, it is crucial to know the right steps to take. There are many viable options to choose from, and we have listed some of them in this article. Joining their affiliate program is an excellent way to earn big money, even passively.

Some programs offer as much as 70% commissions for every transaction. Also, some have cookie windows of 365 days, which is generous considering industry standards. However, having a list of options is not the only step to choosing the best affiliate program for a travel blogger.

Choose the right niche and create content to fit that niche. That way, you can narrow your options and make an informed choice. If you already have content to match your preferred niche, tweak it to fit your new link so that your clients find what they want.

Bear in mind that travel affiliate programs may not always provide a lot of money. Sometimes, there will be a lull in sales, which will affect your commissions. Your chosen niche also plays a role in this aspect. Therefore, prepare yourself for the times, and make the most of the travel market.